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Fiber-Shield Offers Safe Alternative as States Begin Limiting Specific Chemical in Carpet Cleaning Products

New York is restricting the use of chemical 1,4-dioxane, present in many carpet cleaning solutions, in cleaning and personal care products, and Fiber-Shield Industries Inc. carpet cleaning products offer a dioxane-free alternative.

2/11/2020
NEW YORK -- New York is restricting the use of chemical 1,4-dioxane, present in many carpet cleaning solutions, in cleaning and personal care products, and Fiber-Shield Industries Inc. carpet cleaning products offer a dioxane-free alternative.

"1,4-dioxane is a very serious substance -- it is a carcinogen," said Manny Vickers, founder of New York-based Fiber-Shield Industries Inc., a maker of soil and stain repellent treatments for carpeting, area rugs and upholstered furniture fabrics, "It is found in products that create suds, such as shampoo, liquid soap, and others. On product labels, consumers and professionals alike should look for: Sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds, chemicals that include the clauses xynol, ceteareth and oleth."


Manny Vickers, President and COO of Fiber-Shield Industries, Inc.
  Expected to be a harbinger of more regulations, NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation to help prevent the 1,4-dioxane from contaminating New York's water systems. In addition, the new law prohibits the sale of household cleaning products containing 1,4-dioxane and limits the sale of cosmetic and personal care products with certain levels of 1,4-dioxane. Likewise, California is also considering limits on the chemical, which has been labeled as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 "As emerging contaminants like 1,4-dioxane continue to show up in water systems around the country, in New York we are taking aggressive action to keep our drinking water clean and safe," Governor Cuomo stated at the time of signing the law into effect. "In the absence of federal standards to limit the spread of this harmful contaminant, this new law builds on our efforts to protect and preserve our drinking water resources from these unregulated chemicals that threaten the health of New Yorkers and the environment."

Explains Vickers, "It is important to note that the recent signing of the 1,4-dioxane ban in cleaning and personal care products by New York State's Governor Cuomo may well be a precursor to similar legislation throughout the U.S. It is fascinating to me that the industry saw the handwriting on the wall, yet it is surprising to see how so many major industry players failed to anticipate this ban and are now scrambling to comply. It will take a lot of time, and who knows what will happen to product efficacy and prices. For consumers, it is obviously a positive thing, from a health and safety perspective."
FAST-KLEEN by Fiber-Shield is a 1,4 dioxane-free carpet cleaning solution.

Fiber-Shield has been an early advocate for 1,4 dioxane-free cleaning solutions. "We chose many years ago to develop 1,4 dioxane free products because even back then there were negative reports associated with this ingredient.," said Vickers, an accomplished research and development chemist, who celebrated Fiber-Shield's 40th anniversary last year "In entering the market with specialized carpet cleaning products we pay close attention to our choices of raw materials. We want products with unparalleled performance, environmentally compliant, user friendly and extremely safe. We have achieved that with our FAST-KLEEN -- a totally green spot and stain remover that works like nothing else on the market." 

FAST-KLEEN, introduced last year, is a professional-grade domestically made product ideal for water-safe carpets. 

About Fiber-Shield Industries Inc.

Founded in 1979 by Manny and Connie Vickers, the Long Island-based company's proprietary formulations demonstrate its mastery of polymer science and allied technologies. Fiber-Shield Industries, Inc.'s mission is to deliver proven, breakthrough protection products that outperform others in terms of durability, ease of application, formula consistency, safety and quality -- and yet be competitively priced. Industries served include: fabric & carpet, leather, glass, fire retardants, metal & fiberglass, vinyl & rubber, masonry & concrete and other materials. Of particular note is the company's rigorous attention to quality control, which ensures virtually no batch-to-batch product variation and, therefore, consistent performance. As a result of this customer-first approach, and driven by management's desire to create formulas that solve customers' toughest protection and cleaning challenges, positive word-of-mouth for this industry pioneer continues to grow.

To learn more about Fiber-Shield and its products, visit www.fiber-shield.com. To learn more about the possible health effects of 1,4 dioxane, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, fact sheet.


FAST-KLEEN by Fiber-Shield 2 is a green, water-based carpet cleaning product.
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